Reconfigurable chair system

Abstract

Left and right fixed arm plates extend upwardly from the seat of a chair. A left movable arm plate is above the left fixed arm plate and a right movable arm plate is above the right fixed arm plate. Parallel left links couple the left fixed plate and the left movable plate in parallelogram manner. Parallel right links couple the right fixed plate and the right movable plate in parallelogram manner. A left arm rest is coupled to the left movable plate and a right arm rest is coupled to the right movable plate. A gas lift cylinder including an upper cylinder secured to the seat reciprocable within a lower cylinder. The upper cylinder is urged upwardly. A bracket rotatably couples a lower foot support to a lower cylinder. A leaf spring couples the seat and the bracket.

What is claimed as being new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows: 
     
       1. An apparatus, comprising:
 a seat rest; a seatback; a linkage connecting the seat rest to the seatback; a column configured to support the seat rest; a freestanding base configured to support the column, to rest on a floor, and to balance the apparatus in an upright orientation; and 
 a lower footrest assembly comprising a bracket secured to the column at a first location above the base and a lower foot support pivotably secured to the bracket at a pivot joint, wherein the bracket is configured to position the pivot joint below the first location and at a bottom of the base so the lower foot support pivots between a folded position where the lower foot support is off the floor and a lowered position where the lower foot support rests on the floor and is configured to support a user standing on the lower foot support; 
 wherein the linkage is configured to permit movement of the seatback from a rear position relative to the seat rest and associated with a chair configuration of the apparatus to a front position relative to the seat rest and associated with a leaning configuration of the apparatus; and 
 wherein in the leaning configuration the seatback is positioned to support the user when standing forward of the seat rest, leaning on the seatback, and standing on the lower foot support. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein in the leaning configuration a forward edge of the seat rest and the seatback are positioned to simultaneously support respective portions of the user leaning thereon. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a connecting bar that connects the bracket to the seat rest, thereby ensuring the lower foot support and the seat rest maintain a same relative orientation. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the apparatus is configured to permit vertical adjustment of the seat rest, and wherein the connecting bar comprises a leaf spring configured to maintain the same relative orientation regardless of a vertical position of the seat rest. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the seatback maintains a same orientation relative to the seat rest in the rear position and in the front position. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the linkage comprises a parallelogram linkage comprising two links, each link of the two links securing the first side of the seat rest to a same side of the seatback. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein each link of the two links rotates at least ninety degrees between the rear position and the front position. 
     
     
       8. An apparatus, comprising:
 a seat rest; a column configured to support the seat rest; a lower footrest assembly; and a freestanding base configured to support the column, to rest on a floor, and to balance the apparatus in an upright orientation; 
 wherein the lower footrest assembly comprises a lower foot support and a bracket, the bracket comprising: a proximal end connected to the column above the base; and a radial extension extending from the proximal end to a vertically downward extension tat ends at a pivot joint disposed at a bottom the base, and wherein the lower foot support pivots about the pivot joint between a folded position where the lower foot support is off the floor and a lowered position where the lower foot support rests on the floor and is configured to support a user standing on the lower foot support. 
 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the seat rest is configured to rotate about a vertical axis of the column. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the freestanding base comprises a wheeled base comprising plural wheels, and wherein when in the lowered position contact between the lower foot support and the floor holds the apparatus in place when the user stands on the lower foot support. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising an upper foot support that is connected to the column between the seat rest and the lower foot support and configured to support feet of the user sitting on the seat rest. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising a seatback and a linkage connecting the seatback to the seat rest, the linkage configured to move the seatback between a rearward position and a forward position. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising a leaf spring, wherein the seat rest and the lower foot support are free to rotate about a vertical axis of the apparatus, and wherein the leaf spring is secured to the seat rest and to the proximal end of the bracket and keeps the lower foot support rotationally aligned with the seat rest during rotation of the seat rest and the lower foot support about the vertical axis. 
     
     
       14. An apparatus, comprising:
 a seat rest; a seatback; a linkage securing the seat rest to the seatback; a lower foot support; and a column connecting the seat rest to the lower foot support and configured to permit vertical adjustment of the seat rest, wherein the seat rest and the lower foot support are free to rotate about the column; 
 wherein the linkage is configured to permit movement of the seatback from a rear position relative to the seat rest and associated with a chair configuration of the apparatus to a front position relative to the seat rest and associated with a leaning configuration of the apparatus; 
 wherein the seat rest remains horizontal in the rear position and the front position; and 
 wherein in the leaning configuration the seat rest and the seatback are positioned to simultaneously support respective portions of a user leaning thereon and standing on the lower foot support; and 
 the apparatus further comprising a leaf spring secured to the seat rest and to the lower foot support and configured to keep the seat rest and the lower foot support rotationally aligned with respect to the column regardless of a vertical position of the seat rest. 
 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the linkage comprises a parallelogram linkage comprising two links on a first side of the seat rest, each link of the two links securing the first side of the seat rest to a same side of the seatback. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein each link of the two links rotates at least ninety degrees between the rear position and the front position. 
     
     
       17. The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the seatback maintains a same orientation relative to the seat rest in the rear position and in the front position. 
     
     
       18. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising an upper foot support that is connected to the column at a second location between the seat rest and the first location and configured to support feet of the user when the apparatus is in the chair configuration. 
     
     
       19. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the seat rest is configured to rotate about a vertical axis of the column.